FC Barcelona crisis: Josep Maria Bartomeu resigns but will Messi extend his stay?

FC Barcelona fans are happy to see that the club president, Josep Maria Bartomeu, has finally resigned from his duties. It is understood that the 57-year old Spaniard decided to resign after being put under tremendous pressure. It has also revealed that before resigning, he accepted a proposal on behalf of the Catalans to join a future "European Super League".

Not only the president, but the club's entire board of directors has resigned. Bartomeu, who became the club's president in 2014, had recently fallen out with Lionel Messi. Their feud came to light as the six-time Ballon d'Or winner revealed his intention to leave Camp Nou before the ongoing season started. Messi even publicly slammed Bartomeu during a candid interview. Consequently, the pressure started to mount on the president.

After a month of drama, finally, Bartomeu stood down on Tuesday. As he delivered his farewell speech, he said the Spanish giants had begun proceedings to join a European Super League in order to help the club's financial future.

Recently, there were talks regarding the creation of a new European Premier League worth £4.6 billion, which might involve the best sides from countries across the continent. BBC reports that the discussions are still at an early stage. However, La Liga president Javier Tebas later criticised Bartomeu, saying that the latter is ignorant about the football industry.

Bartomeu was due to end his term as Barca president in March, after completing the maximum two terms as president. Interestingly, over 20,000 club members signed a petition to remove him from the top months before then. There was a continuously growing resentment against Bartomeu's leadership because of Barcelona's worsening finances and their decline in on-field performances. A trophy-less 2019-20 season made matters worse for him.

It was clear that Messi's wish to leave Barcelona was fuelled by Bartomeu's lack of vision as far as the club's future is concerned. Now that Bartomeu has resigned, there is a massive chance that the 33-year old Argentine behemoth could sign a two-year extension. Messi's current contract will expire next summer, after which he will be available for a free transfer.

However, neither Barca's board nor the fans would want to let their best player move to a different club. Barcelona's new coach Ronald Koeman has been showering praises on Messi, calling him the best footballer in the world. So, it wouldn't be a miracle to see Messi finishing his career at Camp Nou.